Hope arises from the right solutions
Trust in the ability of democracy to function is dwindling. Democratic parties are increasingly losing support among the population, while populist and extremist parties and movements are experiencing unprecedented growth in the history of the Federal Republic.Friedrich Merz, Chairman of the CDU in Germany and Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, emphasised in his speech: ‘We are witnessing a real upheaval. We must understand this and explain it to the people. Because the mistakes that we are now making in misjudging the situation cannot be corrected in retrospect. The freedom we have achieved today is truly at risk. The question of whether we are in a position to preserve and defend our freedom is, for me, the central question of our time.
Ebba Busch, Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, expands on this view. Europe and Sweden are going through difficult times. ‘What values bind us all together? That is a discussion we are currently having in Sweden.’ The task in the coming years will be to make politics more understandable for everyone so that people can draw hope from it again. ‘We need to bring more hope into politics. This must be realistic hope. We have to make tough decisions, but they have to be made with such determination that they give rise to hope,’ said Busch.
Friedrich Merz put it in a nutshell: ‘Democracy thrives not only on consensus, but also on controversy and the struggle for better solutions for our country!’
The Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Prof Dr Norbert Lammert, who opened the evening event, pointed out that Germany is not the only country facing these problems. ‘It is not only our democracy in Germany that is being challenged, but we are observing a major trend towards populism, the appeal of authoritarian leaders and the willingness to consider the simplest conceivable answer to complicated questions to be the seemingly most plausible one in almost all countries with democratic conditions and free elections. We need to take a critical look at this.’
The future of democracy
The basis of a vibrant democracy is social cohesion. In order to maintain this cohesion, it is important to us that the different needs of all age groups are taken seriously.At the Youth Policy Day as part of the KAS Day, participants enjoyed exciting discussions and workshops. The event, which was organised under the theme of ‘Action instead of propaganda’, was opened by Michael Thielen, Secretary General of the KAS, who emphasised that ‘democracy has to be fought for several times’. He referred to the challenges that our society must face. A poetry slam by Julian Heun provided an impressive and creative start to the day, before the panel discussion entitled ‘With confidence from mood democracy’ with Serap Güler, member of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, and the former Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger began. Güler emphasised: ‘Politics has lost people's trust. When people realise that nothing is changing and there is no concept behind it, the disappointment is all the greater.’
The discussion was followed by three parallel workshops. In the first workshop ‘Understanding democracy: How do I form an opinion?’, RTL reporter Daniel Spliethoff led an intensive discussion on how to form an informed opinion in an increasingly complex media landscape. The second workshop ‘Democracy on the net: How do I position myself on Twitter & Co?’, led by Daniel Eck, shed light on the challenges and opportunities of social media for political debates. In the third workshop, ‘Democracy internationally: Preserving democracy against the odds?’, Rishika Raka (India), Benazir Komarudin (Indonesia) and Zainodin Buisan (Philippines) discussed the global challenges of democracy under the moderation of Moritz Fink.
Democracy needs participation
The subsequent panel discussion, entitled ‘From three to seven plus x - party systems on the move’, was opened by Hermann Gröhe, Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group and Deputy Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, who focused in particular on the political radicalisation trends in Germany: ‘I say quite deliberately that we must confront extremism. But we cannot respond to an inflammatory tone with democratic agitation.’In the ensuing discussion, CDU member of parliament Philipp Amthor also emphasised the responsibility of the parties: ‘We must also make the parties strong again as places of debate.’ Dr Philipp Birkenmaier, Federal Managing Director of the CDU Germany, agreed with this, but also pointed out: ‘We have to stick to our guns. We have to talk, but only up to a certain point.’ Nadine Lindner, correspondent for Deutschlandradio, and Prof Dr Ursula Münch, Director of the Academy for Civic Education in Tutzing, also took part in the discussion and made it very clear: ‘If people don't follow the majority in the Bundestag, we have a problem and we have to deal with it!’.
It is particularly important to give civil society initiatives a platform: The award ceremony for the Demokratiegestalter competition was a festive highlight of the day. Three projects that make a special contribution to democracy in our country were honoured. Lammert appealed to the audience at the award ceremony: ‘Democracy does not just allow participation. It needs it.’ And added - also with a view to the young audience - further: ‘The parties urgently need many young people who say: We want to change this country’.
The DNAofDemocracy initiative, in which the foundation is involved, also makes it clear that democracy not only allows participation, but needs it and thrives on it. As part of the KAS Day, Lammert was presented with an inkwell by the organisers of the initiative - containing the DNA of the Basic Law. The Basic Law was signed with pen and ink by Konrad Adenauer 75 years ago - today it is once again under pressure. The KAS Day made it clear how our Basic Law can be protected and safeguarded - through the democratic commitment of all citizens in Germany.
Video recordings from the KAS Day 2024
Youth Policy Day
3Q
Award ceremony: Democracy Shapers 2024
3Q
Three becomes seven plus x - party systems on the move
3Q
Democracies under pressure?
3Q
